In many cases, authorities and actors of the medical or dental field want to have an infallible and traceable solution to follow instruments so as be able to trace disinfection, sterilization, reparation, and other operations directed to or carried out with the instruments under consideration. Nowadays, users do not typically have the time and willingness to generate reports manually because of the related workload. In addition, there is a risk of errors with manual data recording and identification of instruments, which prevents regarding the manually recorded data as an irrefutable proof of what has been done and what has been not done.
A known solution uses tags including a radio frequency identifier “RFID”. The tag is glued on the instrument to be identified. It is however challenging to provide a glue joint that produces a reliable long term adhesion of the tag on the instrument in cases where the instrument is exposed to operations such as sterilization, disinfection, and/or ultrasonic baths.
WO2008062387 describes an instrument comprising a radio frequency identifier. The radio frequency identifier is embedded in a polymer sheet that is attached on a surface of the handle of the instrument. The polymer sheet that includes the radio frequency identifier can be, for example, wrapped around the handle of the instrument. In order to obtain an even surface, it is possible to provide the instrument with a recess corresponding in size to the polymer sheet. In an advantageous embodiment described in WO2008062387, the polymer sheet comprises two layers between which the radio frequency identifier is located. The two layers are made of materials having different hardness. The layer of the harder material is against the instrument in order to obtain a better adhesion. The softer material protects the radio frequency identifier against external impacts. It may be, however, in some circumstances hard to guarantee that the polymer sheet remains firmly attached to the instrument. Furthermore, it may be hard to guarantee that no slits are left between the polymer sheet and the handle of the instrument. The slits are undesirable because, in some circumstances, they may collect impurities.